Back To Where We Started From
by tazzydan
Summary: Tragedy has struck the bay. One of it's most beloved locals has been killed in a horror car smash. Past residents flock to their former home to pay their respects. Old friends, old lovers...new beginnings...


_**Back to Where We Started From**_

_A Home and Away FanFic_

_Tahlia Stewart ©2009_

**Chapter One:**

_**BELVOVED LOCAL LOST IN HORROR CRASH**_

_The coastal town of summer Bay was scarred indefinitely Tuesday night, when one of it's beloved own local business woman was fatally wounded in a freak car crash at approximately 10:30 p.m. Irene Roberts, 55, was "just an innocent bystander in this horrific ordeal", an official spokesman said on Wednesday. He also confirmed that the cause of the crash was a drag race between two unconfirmed vehicles. Due to tracks left at the scene, police were able to determine that two other cars were involved, one crossing into Mrs. Roberts' lane and causing her to swerve off-road. Further information is unknown and anyone who witnessed or has any knowledge on the incident, is urged to call crime stoppers on 1800 333 000._

Dani Sutherland gasped and glanced again at the familiar name inked into the article on her desk. Not five minutes ago, she had been handed a whole sector of the Sydney Morning Herald to proof before printing that night for Thursday's paper. This had been the last thing she expected to see staring up at her from the top of the pile. She flinched visibly and picked up the phone to her left.

* * * * * *

Jade arrived at the block of apartments her sister lived in, just in time to hear the sirens of a police car go screaming past. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, before opening them again begrudgingly.

"Kirsty is in there and she needs you." She muttered to herself. She stepped hesitantly away from her car, almost as if it would be the last time she would see it, and began the walk up the winding stairs to the fourth floor apartment where Kirsty and Kane were living this week. Arriving at the door, she knocked tentatively.

"Kirst, are you in there?" A muffled stumble could be heard from inside before the door opened to reveal Kirsty's fresh black eye from beyond the shadows. Jade sighed.

"My god, Kirst, let me in to have a look at that eye." Jade whispered tenderly. Kirsty nodded, holding back tears, although she did let Jade inside.

Inside the apartment was even worse that Jade had feared. There was smashed glass everywhere. Almost to the point where you honestly couldn't tell whether the floor was tile, carpet or wood. The coffee table in the middle of the room was broken and there was a small pool of blood in the middle of the kitchen, a dirty baseball bat lying in it. It was then that Jade fully realized the seriousness of what must have happened and she grabbed Kirsty by her already bruising arm.

"Where is he?" She asked hurriedly. They may not have long before he reappeared.

"I don't know. He stormed out after I hit him with the bat." Kirsty broke down as the tears began to pour freely. Jade gave a meek smile. It was she who had told Kirsty to keep that bat to use as self-defense for when Kane was like this.

"Good girl. You did the right thing, Kirst. But right now, we need to leave, before he comes back." Just then, Jade's phone started to ring. Caller ID showed it was Dani on her work phone. Jade made a shooing motion with her hands.

"Go and grab anything you'll need, Kirst, and pack it in a small bag. But be quick." Kirsty ran off down the hall to her and Kane's bedroom. Jade answered her mobile.

"Hi Dani, sorry I can't come for lunch today. I'm at Kirsty's place. Kane has gone mental. I'm taking her and we're leaving." Just then, Jade heard a sniff from the other end of the phone line. "Dani, are you okay?" She asked.

"I just got the proofs for tomorrow's paper. There's been an accident." Dani got out between sniffs. Jade's brow furrowed.

"What's happened, Dan?" What sort of accident?" Jade asked, barely taking a breath. She heard Dani let out a sob. "Dani, are you there?" She prompted again.

"A car accident; Irene is dead."

* * * * * *

"Anyone got anything to add?" One of '_Summer Dreams' _big shot producers asked around the table. It had been a long time since Nick had bothered to remember any of their names. The so-called '_big shots'_ were passed around more frequently than Paris Hilton's privates. Nick could feel his cell phone vibrating yet again. Whomever it was, had called for the last hour, stopping only to redial once the line rang out.

As all the people around him were rising to their feet to shake hands, Nick slipped outside, answering his call as he winked at a passing cleaner who was watching him in awe.

"This had better be good!" Nick answered stiffly. It was the next five seconds in which Nick's whole world shifted.

* * * * * *

Hayley was pacing around the kitchen like she had a million times before in previous years. However, as she thought this, tears brimmed over her eyelids and streamed down her face, just as she'd thought she had cried them dry. The phone just kept ringing out.

"Answer Nick, for the love of god! I just can't do this anymore!" Will stood from his place on the couch and walked into the kitchen. He put a comforting arm around his sister.

"Hails, give it time. He is probably on set or something and can't even hear his phone." Hayley glanced up at her older brother with a look of such pain and anguish that Will didn't think he could take it. Suddenly, Hayley's face changed from pain to recognition and Will guessed that Nick had finally answered.

"Nick! Oh, thank god!" Hayley's tears were running uncontrollably now and suddenly, Will could se what was going to happen. "Where the hell have you been? We've needed you here! Nick…oh Nick…" Hayley closed her eyes and with her back pressed up against the kitchen cupboard, she slid down to the floor and covered her face with her hands. Will crouched down and grabbed the phone, which was slipping from Hayley's grip as her grief overwhelmed her.

"Nick mate, it's Will. Listen, there's been an accident and we need you to come home…it's Irene. There was a car accident last night. She's gone, mate." Will heard the silence on the other line and then the strained voice of his little brother and he knew that Nick was stunned and crying on the other side of the world. Will wished that he could be there to help him, or just to reassure him.

"I'll be there as quick as I can." Then the line went dead.

* * * * * *

Nick let the phone drop to the floor and it shattered into about a hundred pieces, but Nick just kept walking. His head was running wild with thoughts of what he could have done differently that may have altered the result. Then Nick knew what he had to do.

* * * * * *

Now, Nick wished that he had taken the time to remember the new producer's name.

"Err, sir?" Nick's face was tear-stained as he re-entered the room in which he had sat in before his world had collapsed around his ears.

"What is it, Richard?" Now Nick didn't feel so bad about the name thing. "I'm busy. I have another meeting in five minutes to discuss your future." It was now that he looked up from his briefcase to Nick and grimaced. "Oh my god, boy, what happened to you?"

"There's been a personal emergency at home. I need to go home." Nick asked hurriedly, obviously distressed.

"That's not possible. We need you here. Scene's are being shot tonight." The producer said with a tone of finality. Nick was stunned.

"Please, there has been a death in my family." The producer looked at him again with an 'I'm sorry, but' face.

"I said it's not possible, my boy. It was embarrassing enough that I had to make excuses for you while your goddamn cell phone was ringing in that meeting. If you leave, you're fired and you'll never work in this business again."

Nick was furious.

"Well then, I _am _leaving, I _am _fired and thank god! Does that cover all bases of your threat?" The producer's face dropped and Nick stormed out, a wave of relief rushing over him. He was heading home, for the last time.

* * * * * *

"Come on, Olly. Eat the yummy dinner." Kirsty cooed at her young son, who sat in a high chair in Jade's kitchen.

"So, how about we meet at my place tomorrow morning? We can drive up together." Dani suggested. Jade nodded.

"That sounds good. Work gave me a fortnight off. How long did you manage to get?"

"The same, we're very over staffed at the moment. Does nine o'clock sound okay to you?" Jade nodded and then nodded in Kirsty's direction, as she spoon-fed Olly in the kitchen.

"I've talked Kirsty in leaving Kane. What he did to her and Olly was unforgivable. Poor Olly's got the blackest face I've ever seen. Kirst said Kane hit him with a plastic toy truck. Not to mention what he did to Kirsty." Dani pursed her lips.

"Then moving to Summer Bay could do her a world of good and Kane wouldn't know where to look. Here and my place would be his first two stops." Dani reasoned. Just then, Dani glanced at her watch. It was nearly ten. "I had better make a move. I'll see you both tomorrow. Bye, Kirst!" She yelled into the kitchen. Kirsty turned and smiled at her sister.

"See you, Dan!" Then she went back to feeding her son. Dani hugged Jade at the front door.

"Look out for her tonight. I think she's more shaken than she's letting on." Jade nodded.

"I will. See you tomorrow, Dan."

Once Olly was asleep, Jade heard soft sobbing coming from her spare bedroom. Jade left her bed and entered the spare room where Kirsty was sleeping.

"Kirsty, are you okay? I'm here if you want to talk." The sobs stopped for a moment.

"That would be good, Jade. It'll be just like old times." Kirsty said with a sniff. Jade climbed into her sister's bed and enveloped her in a hug.

"What he did to you was inexcusable, Kirst. Maybe this is what you need, a fresh start, so to speak."

"But what would I do there, Jade? Wait tables at the diner?" Jade sighed. Kirsty always had such a low opinion of herself these days. She supposed that's what happens when someone is in an abusive relationship for so long. She couldn't understand why it had gone on as long as it did.

"Kirst, Olly needs you, I won't deny that. But you need to do what is best for yourself as well." Kirsty nodded, starting to see sense. "Listen, Dani looked through the job section at work when she proof read it the other day. I remember her saying that there was a receptionist job going at the school. I think you should consider going for it."

"But what would I do with Olly?" Kirsty asked.

"Well, Dani and I will always be there to help you. We'll sort something out, okay?" Kirsty nodded. "Now get some sleep, we leave at nine tomorrow."

Jade didn't know whether Kirsty was half asleep when she said it, but she swore she did.

"We're going home, Jade. We're going home."

* * * * * *

Nick was sitting in the plane, wishing away the time. So far, he had signed twelve autographs, and that didn't include the thirty or so at the airport. He hadn't the heart to tell any of his fans that he was leaving the show. The first flight to Sydney he could get was a late night one. It had been almost twenty-four hours since he got the call from Hayley and Will, which meant it had been roughly thirty hours since he had slept, but strangely, he didn't feel tired. All Nick could think about was the funeral, which was to happen on Saturday morning. Glancing at his watch, he managed to work out that it was roughly eleven on Thursday morning in Sydney, Australia. He also wondered if everyone would be there, at the funeral. Would any of his old friends be there? Irene had kept him mostly up to speed on what was happening in the bay. He now remembered that most of the people he had known had moved away since. Not surprising really as it had been almost six years. Nick had last seen the bay at seventeen. He was now twenty-three, and what a difference six years could make…

* * * * * *

"Are we there yet, Mum?" Olly asked from his booster seat. Jade had to admit, for a four year old, he was very patient and well-behaved. Kirsty looked around from reading her magazine, getting her bearings.

"Not much further now, Olly."

Jade suddenly felt very warm. She turned the lowered the temperature on the air conditioning for the second time, much to Dani's annoyance.

"Do you mind if I turn it up a bit from sub-zero? Dani asked sarcastically, changing the dial back while keeping one hand on the wheel. "Anyone would think you were nervous." Dani roused. Jade blushed.

"Well my last days in the bay were quite eventful and I'm wondering whether or not people will hold my actions against me." Jade reasoned. Kirsty bit her lip, holding back a grin.

"Are you sure that blush had nothing to do with a certain famous ex-boyfriend of yours who almost definitely will be there?" Kirsty teased. Jade spun around from the passenger's seat angrily.

"As if that's what I'm worried about! Jesus, Kirsty, Irene has died, suddenly and tragically! I am coming for that reason and for that reason only!" Jade flared.

Dani suddenly screeched, bringing the conflict to a halt.

"Look! It's the Summer Bay sign!" She said.

'_Well…here goes nothing." _Jade thought with a sigh. '_3, 2, 1…impact_.'

'_Welcome to Summer Bay'_


End file.
